Harry Potter : The Cardmaster Chronicles

The tension in the mansion thickened like the icy fog outside, a palpable weight that pressed on the shoulders of every man present. Viktor paced near the grand table, his boots echoing against the parquet floor as he stared at the magical mirror on the wall. Its surface shimmered ominously, still reflecting nothing but a swirling void. The spectral wolf by his side growled low, its icy breath misting the air.

"Boss, the wards… they're still active," stammered a younger gangster, clutching a wand in trembling hands.

"Then explain the noise," Viktor snapped, his steel-gray eyes cutting to the man. "Something is inside."

The three-headed dog near the hearth lifted its middle head and snarled again, its hackles rising.

The chandelier overhead chimed faintly, the icicles adorning it trembling as if touched by an unseen hand.

The air was cold—colder than before, carrying a sense of dread that none could shake.

Suddenly, a sharp, guttural hiss echoed through the mansion.

It was unlike anything the gangsters had heard before, an alien sound that reverberated through the very walls.

Several men instinctively reached for their weapons, a mix of pistols, enchanted knives, and stolen wands.

Viktor drew his rune-engraved pistol, its metal glinting faintly in the firelight.

"Spread out," Viktor commanded. "Find whatever it is."

"Do not let it escape."

The men moved cautiously, their boots crunching against the frost that seemed to have seeped into the very floorboards.

The enchanted lanterns flickered, their green flames casting long, eerie shadows. In the distance, the sound of movement—a faint whisper of footsteps—reached their ears.

In the shadows of a deserted hallway, Severus adjusted his grip on the V-Buckle at his waist.

The transformation had left him with an electrifying surge of power, his new armor fitting like a second skin.

The coiled snake insignia on his chest gleamed faintly, a silent reminder of the predator he had become.

"V," Severus murmured, his voice low.

The giant snake appeared in a mirror beside him, its sleek, serpentine body slithering silently along in the mirrors of the corridor.

Its glowing eyes reflected the cold light of the enchanted lanterns.

"Time for snacksss?" V hissed through telepathy, its voice carrying a sinister amusement.

"Not yet," Severus replied, scanning the hallway ahead.

"We move fast and clean."

"No mistakes."

The mansion's wards buzzed faintly against his armor, a magical resistance that felt like static electricity on his skin.

Severus smirked beneath his helmet.

"They rely too much on their toys," he muttered.

He pressed forward, his movements precise and deliberate.

With each step, the tension grew, the air thickening with the anticipation of a hunter closing in on its prey.

Back in the grand hall, chaos erupted.

A loud crash echoed through the mansion, followed by the unmistakable sound of breaking glass.

Viktor spun toward the source of the commotion, his pistol raised.

The spectral wolf let out a howl, its glowing eyes fixed on the far end of the room.

The mirror hanging on the wall suddenly cracked, a jagged fissure splitting its surface.

The swirling void within shimmered, and from it emerged a figure clad in deep purple and black armor, the design unmistakably reptilian.

The gangsters froze, their instincts screaming at them to run.

"What the hell is that?!" one of them shouted, backing away as Severus stepped into the room, his movements deliberate and predatory.

Severus stepped into the grand hall, his presence an ominous force that seemed to suck the air from the room.

The gangsters froze, their instinctive confidence wavering as they turned to face the figure cloaked in reptilian armor.

The glowing yellow eyes of this strange figure in a cobra-themed helmet bore down on them, a predator gazing upon its helpless prey.

Viktor's eyes narrowed.

"Shoot it," he barked.

Bullets and magical projectiles flew through the air, but Severus was faster.

"Who the hell is this?!" one of the men shouted, his voice cracking under the weight of fear.

Severus didn't respond. Instead, he raised his hand and slid a card into the V-Buckle on his belt.

"ADVENT," the belt announced, its voice cold and mechanical.

The sound of slithering echoed through the room as V, his contract monster, materialized.

The massive serpent hissed, its glowing eyes locking onto the gangsters.

The room descended into chaos.

"WHAT THE HELL IS THAT!!!?"

"IS THAT A BASILISK!!!??"

"Fools," Severus said coldly, his voice carrying through the chaos.

"You thought your wards would protect you?"

One man screamed as V struck with lightning speed, coiling around him and crushing his ribs with a sickening crunch.

Blood seeped from the corners of his mouth as his body fell limp within the snake's grasp.

'HISSSSS'

Severus moved like a shadow, swift and lethal. He drew another card, sliding it into the belt.

"SWORD VENT."

A blade materialized in his hand, its edge shimmering with what appeared to be some kind of deadly energy.

He advanced on the nearest group of men, who frantically fired their pistols and hurled spells in desperation.

The bullets ricocheted harmlessly off his armor, and the spells fizzled against his energy shield.

With a swift arc of his sword, Severus decapitated one thug, the man's head tumbling to the floor as blood sprayed in an arc.

He turned, slicing another's arm clean off before impaling him through the chest. The blade burned as it pierced, cauterizing flesh and leaving a scorched, gory wound.

V coiled and struck again, its fangs sinking into a man's neck.

The venom worked instantly, causing his body to seize up before collapsing in a heap.

Severus, unfazed, continued his brutal assault.

He pulled another card.

"TRICK VENT."

Illusions of Severus in armor appeared throughout the room, each one mimicking his every move.

The gangsters panicked, swinging their weapons wildly at phantoms.

The real Severus capitalized on their confusion, his blade carving through flesh and bone with ruthless efficiency.

One man, realizing the futility, attempted to run.

Severus hurled his sword, pinning the man's leg to the floor.

"AAAAAAAAAA"

His scream echoed through the hall as Severus approached, retrieving his weapon with a forceful yank that severed the limb entirely.

Blood pooled on the floor as the man writhed in agony, silenced moments later by V's crushing jaws.

The gangsters were in disarray, their carefully constructed confidence shattered. Viktor fired his rune-engraved pistol, the shot narrowly missing Severus as he dodged with snake-like agility.

"You've made a mistake," Severus said, his tone almost amused.

"And now, you'll pay for it."

Viktor snarled, his grizzled features twisted in anger.

He muttered an incantation under his breath, and a shimmering shield of ice formed around him.

Severus tilted his head, examining the barrier.

"Interesting," he said, reaching for a card from the Advent Deck on his belt.

He slid it into the slot, and the belt responded with a metallic voice:

"FINAL VENT."

The air crackled with energy as V coiled around Severus, its body glowing with a fiery purple aura.

Severus leaped into the air, propelled by the serpent's strength.

The massive snake launched forward, shattering Viktor's ice shield in an explosive collision.

He came crashing down onto the remaining gangsters, the force of the attack obliterating them in a gruesome explosion of blood and viscera.

Limbs and entrails scattered across the room, painting the walls in a grotesque tapestry of destruction.

Viktor was thrown back, slamming into the wall with a groan.

As the last of the gangsters fell silent, Severus stood amidst the carnage, his armor unmarred by the slaughter.

Severus stepped over the shattered remains of the table, his cold, glowing gaze fixed on Viktor.

"Your reign ends here," Severus said, his voice low and final.

Viktor struggled to his feet, his pistol trembling in his hand.

The spectral wolf lunged at Severus, but V intercepted, its fangs sinking into the ethereal creature and tearing it apart in a burst of icy mist.

Viktor's defiance faltered as he realized he was alone, his men gone and his defenses broken.

Severus raised his hand and said, "V."

"Hiss?"

"He is all yours."

"HISSSSS!!!"

Viktor, the man of many legends, ended his career on the stomach of a giant snake, his empire reduced to rubble.

Severus turned, his armor glinting in the flickering firelight.

"Clean and fast," he murmured, stepping over the remnants of the battle.

V slithered beside him, its glowing eyes watching the destruction upon the room and its tongue flicking in satisfaction.

Severus surveyed the room, ensuring no one was left alive. Satisfied, he deactivated his transformation, the armor dissipating in a flash of light.

His cold, calculated expression didn't falter as he stepped over the bodies, heading deeper into the mansion.

"Raymond, the job's done," he said, his voice steady and emotionless.

"Good," Raymond's voice replied over the communicator. "Now get what we came for and get out."

Severus glanced back at the carnage one last time before disappearing into the shadows, leaving only death and destruction in his wake.

The hunter had struck, and the prey had fallen.